Can Mike Leach salvage Washington State’s season? A victory against Utah would go a long way, but the Cougars won’t have an easy time winning on the road.
How to watch Washington State vs. Utah: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Cougars get back on track, or will Utah stay unbeaten?
Washington State opened the year at home against Rutgers, but fell to Kyle Flood and the Scarlet Knights, 41-38, due to a fourth-quarter comeback. The Cougars lost in their road opener as well, when Nevada stifled Washington State’s passing game en route to a 24-13 final. FCS Portland State was an easier ask — Mike Leach’s squad won, 59-21 — and then the Cougars nearly upset No. 2 Oregon, falling 38-31.
Utah started the year with a 56-14 win over FCS Idaho State and followed that up with multiple-possession victories over Fresno State and Michigan. The Utes have been early season stars in the numbers -- they rank 21st in F/+ -- and now have a chance to prove themselves in a loaded Pac-12.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 8 p.m. ET.
TV: Pac-12 Network. Ted Robinson, Glenn Parker and Jill Savage will be on the broadcast.
Radio: Here’s a list for Washington State. For Utah, try Sports Radio 700 The Zone.
Online streaming: Pac-12 Networks Live.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. Washington State is 1-3, with an 0-1 Pac-12 record placing the Cougars in last place in the North Division. Utah is 3-0, and this is its Pac-12 opener. The Utes hold a 7-6 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: Utah opened as a 10-point favorite. The line has since moved to 13.5. The over/under is 66 points.
Weather forecast: A high of 71 and a low of 56 with thunderstorms.
Two things at stake
A loss would put Washington State in serious jeopardy of making a bowl game.
A win would move Utah to 4-0 ahead of a huge conference road test against UCLA.
One big matchup
Connor Halliday vs. Utah’s passing defense. The quarterback in charge of the Cougars’ air raid offense, Halliday has already thrown 16 touchdowns this season and leads the nation with 1,901 passing yards. He’s also thrown five interceptions already and has struggled with consistency through Washington State’s rocky start.
Utah’s defense is coming off a three-interception performance against Michigan (a game that required a quarterback change for the Wolverines), but gave up three touchdowns through the air against Fresno State. Senior defensive backs Tevin Carter (15 tackles, one interception, one pass defended) and Brian Blechen (eight tackles, one interception, three passes defended) will have to be on their game against Halliday and the Cougars.
Further reading
For full coverage of Washington State, check out CougCenter. For more on Utah, head over to Block U.
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